Jenna Fifi
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Underneath my Christmas tree

Treats for mum!
 This year I bought mum this gorgeous footstool from a local boutique along with this adorable wooden tag from Delia Petal. The tags are also available in other names The colours of the footstool go beautifully with the living room and it looks so quaint and elegant.  
Mum and I love our cheese and port evenings so when I saw this in Selfridges, I knew I had to buy it for her. At £70 it’s certainly a luxury cheese board, but the exsquite detail of the olive branch and the flawless white marble surface makes it worth it. Culinary Concepts is a favourite brand of mine and everything they stock is of the finest quality. This cheese board is available here at a discounted price of £62.50.

Treats for me!
I am a lucky girl!
As with every Christmas, I was given an abundance of chocolate. Everything from my favourite kinder milk bars to chocolate coins were nestled inside my stocking. There were of course the more luxurious additions such as these charming pearlescent Tesco Finest gold frankincense & myrrh caramels that are almost too pretty to eat! My favourite chocolates are salted caramel and champagne so my sweet tooth was thoroughly spoilt when I unwrapped some deliciously indulgent Salted Caramel pearls from Mum and a box of shimmering pink Marc De Champagne truffles from my sister. I am trying ever so hard to save these edible gems for a special occasion but I admit it’s taking all of my will power. Likely hood of them surviving until February? Not good. 
The Vintage Tea Party Year by Angel Adoree holds the quirkiest and most charming recipes along with retro hair style guides and delightful illustrations. I love Angel Adorees first tea party book so I was thrilled when I unwrapped this! The book is split into sections with each tea party based around a celebration. These include new year eve tea party, children’s tea party, coming of age tea party, tea for two and hen tea party.

I also got given Making Fine Chocolates: Flavour-infused Chocolates, Truffles and Confections by Andrew Garrison Shotts which is an incredibly informative book for all things chocolate! Instructions are clear and precise and there is a wealth of information about chocolate and the various processes that make it into the delectable loveliness that it is today. I love making truffles for friends and family so I can’t wait to learn some new skills and explore chocolate making further.

You really know you’ve reached a certain level of maturity when you add champagne and wine glasses to your Christmas list. I had been hunting down a set of square glasses for months, determined to sip champagne from a sleek and sophisticated straight line flute. After searching through what seemed like thousands of normal glasses, I finally stumbled upon these. For Christmas I received a full set of both the champagne and wine glasses wrapped up in pink and lilac tissue paper. I have since used them for my Christmas themed afternoon tea and the shape added so much elegance to the cranberry bellini’s. I also got given 4 delightful glass cocktail stirrers, each with a pastel coloured glass tip – just lovely! I cannot wait to use my new glassware at dinner parties!
Audrey Hepburn: The timeless collection is a fabulous DVD gift set featuring the Hollywood starlets most iconic films. My favourite is Breakfast at Tiffanys but there is also Sabrina, Roman Holiday and Funny Face. 
I was delighted to unwrap The Great Gatsby by Baz Lurhman. I must confess I missed the opportunity to see this on the big screen so finally being able to watch all the breath-taking visuals and captivating storyline was a pleasure! The film is enchanting, with each scene a feast of stunning visuals from the Prada clothing and tiffany jewellery to the polo ponies galloping across the extravagant gardens of the rich and powerful. The film is the epitome of elegance, glamour and decadence and each time I watch it I am in awe. 
I’ve wanted Beaton In Vogue by Josephine Ross for a while now! Cecil Beaton is one of my favourite photographers and his glamorous life is explored in this book. It features Beatons drawings, notes and his personal memoirs as he photographed the rich and famous and attended the most exclusive events. It’s a fabulously unique insight into the life of one of fashions biggest icons!
Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle is quite possibly my favourite cocktail book. It contains 65 whitty ‘cocktails with a literary twist’ turning much loved classics into delectable beverages alongside charming illustrations. The book includes ‘Gin Eyre’, ‘Moby-Drink’ and ‘Huckleberry Sin’. It also features drinking games and bar bites! A book club meeting will never be the same again!
I also got given Stylists: New Fashion Visionaries by Katie Baron which explores the works of some of the top stylists in fashion today. It’s a treasure trove of inspiration and provides a unique insight into the role of a stylist.
Quiet London by Siobhan Wall is such a brilliant little book – it’s packed full of London’s hidden gems! Having Grown up in the peaceful countryside I sometimes find London too much. I detest the busy crowds, acting like a vulture whenever a free seat appears and having to queue for 10 minutes just to get a latte. Sometimes, all I want to do is relax somewhere quiet and curl up with a book. Quiet London contains atmospheric black and white photographs alongside incredibly useful information about a place such as contact details, opening times and the nearest tube station. Recommendations include gardens, museums, galleries, afternoon tea, pubs, parks and cafes so I’ll never be short of somewhere to unwind. 
I have been in desperate need of a new handbag for a while now so when I unwrapped this beautifully sophisticated handbag from Dune I was delighted! The textured black leather against the gold detailing and luggage tag looks so elegant and will go well with just about everything in my wardrobe! I also bought the burgundy colour block bag with some of my Christmas money – it seems I’ve re-discovered my love of handbags. Although I haven’t worked out whether or not that’s a good thing.
This beautiful journal was given to me by my sister. The hand stitched illustrations on the front are so intricate and pretty I will feel inspired every time I go to write. I can’t wait to use it to document my styling ideas, thoughts and memoirs! 
This vintage pearl clutch purse is one of my favourite presents. The delicate pearl beads and almond shape makes it a unique and precious addition to my vintage collection. This would look so eye-catching against a classic black evening gown or a shimmering nude cocktail dress and I can promise it will make an appearance in one of my editorials this year. Thank you Mum, what a truly amazing find!
New additions to my baking cupboard always puts a smile on my face. Its one of those gifts that keeps on giving; inspiring me to bake and aiding me in the kitchen when I do. When I’m baking it’s my happy place. I feel so relaxed and at ease when I’m decorating chocolate truffles or turning icing into vibrant shades of purple. These pearls and sparkling cherry pink sugar will look glorious on my culinary creations. Himalayan pink salt is also something I’ve never used before but I’m especially eager to try it.  Normal table salt is often so heavily processed it is stripped of its nutritional benefits, as where Himalayan pink salt is harvested from the mountains and is considered the purest form of salt in the world. It contains an incredible 84 minerals for the human body and is known for its extensive health benefits – Oh and it’s a pretty shade of pink! I also received a fabulous chefs hat, a new mixing bowl and some edible glitter in black and white!
My Grandparents gave me money this year but they always give my sister and I something lovely to open too. I owe a lot of my baking skills to my Grandma so it seemed quite fitting that I was given these delightful edible rose petals to use on my cakes. Roses are one of my favourite flowers because of their velvety texture, rich shades and delicate fragrance but when using them in cakes, they need to be home grown without the use of chemicals which isn’t always available. I am delighted with these sumptuous petals and the feminine colours will go well with so many of my bakes. Expect to see some very floral cakes this summer!
I really am very lucky to have such a wonderful family who made Christmas so magical. Every year I am in awe of my mum who manages to buy the most beautiful and thoughtful gifts often without much guidance from me! And yet she gets it right, every time. Thank you so much mum! And thank you to my wonderful family! 

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  7. Emma
    January 19, 2014 / 8:34 pm

    Lucky you! This all looks amazing – especially those glasses, so nice!

    And mums definitely deserve to be spoilt – at least that's what mine tells me 🙂

    Hmm maybe…

    Reply

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Hello, fancy seeing you here!

I’m Jenna! A photographer, stylist and recipe developer constantly seeking and sharing life’s little tonics. Here is where I share delicious, sparkly stories from Somerset, with my rescue dogs in tow.

In short, I’m usually behind a lens, eat a lot and often lose 4G.

Jenna Fifi is where you’ll find everything from indulgent recipes and hotel reviews to skincare recommendations and interiors inspiration. Life natters are complimentary. It’s a varied mix of late-20s souvenirs, the best bits of course, all jumbled together and served with a sprinkling of humour and a slice of the bright side.

This space is made to be rummaged through, and I hope you find something that leaves you full with life lustre, rippling ideas and hungry for cake and beyond.

So pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink and don’t forget to say hello! 😊

Jenna x

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